Device for hanging washed clothes



A 1952 E. H. ROBERTS 2,607,498

DEVICE FOR HANGING WASHED CLOTHES Filed May 21, 1949 2 Sl-IEETS--SI-IEET 1 IN V EN TOR.

v fmdffz yw Zoerds 79 i 32 58' BY Aug. 19, 1952 E. H. ROBERTS 2,507,493

DEVICE-FOR HANGING vv1. asHIs:|:"- quo'm-nzs Filed May 21, 1949 I ZQSFEE'XIIISQSI-IEET 2 INVENTOR.

E 13 @1010 Fowl! Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE 2,607,498 I K Q DEVICE FOR HANGING WASHED CLOTHES Edward Hughes Roberts, Post Falls, Idaho Application May 21, 1949, Serial No. 94,713

provide means that will simplify the work of hanging a washing out to dry. After clothing is washed it is wet and heavy. Most people where they can, wish to hang the clothing out of doors where it may be dried in the sun and in clean fresh air. In the present practice the person hanging the clothes usually carries them from within a wash room and must then do all of the work of hanging them up and distributing them on the clothes line while outside. Thisis not objectionable when the weather is agreeable but when the weather is cold and windy, the shock of going from the warm wash room tothe outside and the handling of the wet clothes while outside is apt to cause the person to contract colds or other illnesses. According to my invention I provide means whereby the washed clothing may be arranged on hangers within the wash room in such a fashion that it may be carried out and quickly attached to a support that is permanently arranged out of doors. The same hangers may likewise be used to hang clothing indoors in a simple fashion.

My invention contemplates the provision of a clothes supporting rack which embodies a relatively long line and a mounting for the line of such nature that several of the racks may be carried side by side on ones arm Without difficulty. These racks are so constructed that they cooperate with horizontal bars on a support which is mounted outdoors to permit mounting of the rack by merely shoving it up against the horizontal bar. The individual racks can be released as the clothing dries by a finger tip release that is a part of the rack supporting bar.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings illustrating a pref-erred form of the invention. It should be understood however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are not to be considered as limiting the'invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a supporting post having the clothes rack supporting bars thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken vertically through a portion of a rack supporting bar;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view clothes support rack; I

Figure 5 is a sectional viewon the line55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the rack supporting post and the inner ends. of the rack supporting bars carried thereby;

in side elevation of the 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-123) which are washed in the home.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I- I of Figure 6; and p v Figure 8 is a fragmentaryperspectiveview illustratinga wall bracket construction to be used when the clothes are hung indoors.

Referring now to the drawings, the showing in Figure 1' is of a supporting post In having a cap member I I secured thereto in any suitable manner such for example, by means of a bolt I2. The cap member I I is designed to support. a plurality of channel shaped bars I3. These bars preferably are so mounted on the cap- I'I'that when-not used for supporting clothes racks they maybe raised to vertical position as indicated in Figure 1. The construction by which this is accomplished is illustrated best in Figures 1, 6 and 7. The cap has up-standing ribs I4 and I5 thereon between which the bars l3 are mounted. Pivot bolts I6 and I1 secure the bars in place. These bolts also secure a spring I8 which'is so mounted that it opposes movement ofthe bars I3 by frictional engagement therewith. 1

. Referring now to Figures 2,3, 4 and 5, these figures illustrate in detail the construction of the clothes rack 20 and its mounting on the bars I3. As shown best in Figure. 4, the clothes rackis a rectangular framework composed in partof a wire or rod 2| and in part of a sheet metal mounting plate 22. The rod 2| has a lower portion 23 which serves to mount. the washed items of clothing indicated at 24 by use of the usual clothes pins 25. The portion 23. of the rack preferably is about four feet in length so that it may be conveniently used to support most items It can support a multiplicity of small articles suchzas handkerchiefs, socks and the. like, or it can support a single large article such as a sheet. Upright portions 26 and 27 of the rod 2I are bound .to the plate 22 by curling the plate over as indicated at 28 and 29 so that it encircles the rod. The top of the plate 221s curled over as indicated at 30 and 3| to give rigidity to the plate, and, preferably the rod 2| is extended into the curled-over parts 30 and 3|. It will be noted that the'inner ends of the parts 30 and 3| are spaced apart a short distance and are beveled'slightly as indicated' in Figure 5 at 32 and 33. The plate 22 has a small opening 34 at the center thereof and beneath this opening there is a hand grip 35- formed by bending up a portion of the material from which the plate 22,is constructed.

The rectangular rack just described is sturdy and when not in use occupies very little space. A large group of them maybe stacked one upon the otherfor storage. The overall height of the rack is less than six inches. Light material such as aluminum can be used to reduce its weight.

The channel shaped bars I3 are provided with latch means by which the racks just described can be quickly attached to them. Thebars-I3 have slots 36 and 31 cut through the webs there- 3 of. At each side of the slots 36 and 31 I provide cross pins 38 and 39. The pin 38 is closer to the free edge of the channel than the pin 39. The slots 36 and 31 are rounded at their open ends as indicated at 40. A latch member 4| is pivoted on the pin 39 and has a weight or heavy portion 42 off-set below the pivot pin 39. The portion 42 is adapted to bridge the space between the pins 39 and 38 and to rest upon the pin 38. A finger piece 4315x5110- vided on the member 4| for lifting it.

In order to mount a rack 20 upon the rack 20 is merely shoved upward against the lower side of the rack l3'so that the portion of the plate 22 between the inner ends '32 and 33 "passesinto a pair of slots 36 and 37. The plate 2'2"will raise the weighted part 42 of the latch member 4| until the plate '22 is shoved up to the position shown in Figure 5. Then the latch 4| will swing down to latch position in the opening fl l automatically because of the weighted part 42. The rack lllcan then be released and it will remain in place until it is lifted again and the the mid point; howeverethe parts 36, .31 and 35 I cooperate to increasethe rigidity throughout its length; The channel bars [3 preferably are construcoed so as to leave adequate space above the slotsivfi and 31*fo'r the necessary strength-of the channel bar against the bending load of the wet clothing.v Chanel bars 13a, smaller than the pars 13, are used indoors for hanging the racks. lIn thisilcase-iI prefer to mount the bars Isa by brackets. 4 1 and pivot pins 155 so that the bars 13w can" he swung parallel to the walls on which'they are mounted. Of course any suitable bar or rod that will go through the opening also :beused indoors to support the racks 29.

iltfis helieved to be evident from the foregoing description that I have provided a novel means iorihalnging wet clothing out of doors, which means permits the person handling the clothes to first arrange them indoors on racks and then tocnickly fasten the racks out of doors to a support sothat the racks cannot swing and entanglethe clothing andprevent drying properly.

person who ishanging the clothing does all of the work with the wet clothes indoors so thatther handscan be kept warm. When the clothes-are taken out of doors in the cold :air her hands maybe clad in gloves and they need not contact the wet clothing since she merely pushes the rack up into place and it is immediately latchedwithout her having to manipulate any mechanism of any sort. This device is particularly applicable the many homes where there is no space indoors for hanging the clothes and they must-be hung outside in all kindslof weather.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim: Y 1. plothes hanging means comprising a rack supporting bar, said bar being channel shaped in cross section with the open side of the channel facing down, said bar having pairs of transverse, downwardly opening aligned guide slots in its side walls, a normally closed latch within the channel the bar is,

extending across each pair of slots and operable to open under upward pressure thereon and to close when .the pressure is released, clothes hanging racks each comprising a plate having a central top portion of a width sufficient to extend across the channel and engages in an aligned pair of the slots in the channel walls, the thickness of the plate. portion engaging in said slots being such that snug reception of the plate within said pair of slots is attained and the depth of the plate portion within the slots being several times the thickness thereof whereby to substantially prevent swinging of the plate in a direction lengthwise of the bar, said plate having transversely extending guides positioned at the ends of said central top portion to engage the side walls of said bar and to substantially prevent rocking or horizontal movement of the plate crosswise of the bar, said plate having a latch receiving opening below said central top portion.

'2. Clothes hanging means comprising a rack supporting bar, said bar being channel shaped in cross section with the open side of the channel facing down, said bar having pairs of transverse, downwardly opening aligned guide slots in its side walls, a normally closed latch within the channel extending across each pair of slots and operable to open under upward pressure thereon and to close when the pressureis released, clothes hanging racks each comprising a plate having a central top portion of a width sufficient to extend across the channel and engage in an aligned pair of the slots in the channel walls, the thickness of the plate portion engaging in said slots being such that snug reception-oi the plate within said pair of slots is attained and the depth of the plate portion within the slots being several times the thickness thereof whereby to substantially preventswinging of the plate in a direction lengthwise of the bar, said plate having transversely extending guides positioned at the ends of said central top portion to engage the side walls of said bar and to substantially prevent rocking or horizontal movement of the plate crosswise of the bar, said plate having a latch receiving opening below said central top portion, said transversely extending guides com prising top edge portions ofsaid plate curled over upon the plate, and said plate having a portion thereof beneath said central top portion bent up to form a hand grip.

EDWARD HUGHES ROBERTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

